Beowulf

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Beowulf
Beowulf’s setting is in the sixth century in which the poem tells the story of a great warrior, Beowulf. For many years, Grendel, an ogre, is perceived to have been terrorizing the kingdom ruled by Hrothgar, a great-grandson of Scyld Scefing who is viewed to have been a great hero. Beowulf travels to assist Hrothgar in which he manages to kill both Grendel and his mother. He becomes king and rules the realm for about fifty years before his demise. He dies after an attack by a dragon but after killing it with help from Wiglaf, one of his men. Before his death, he requests Wiglaf to have his body cremated and then placed on a cliff for sailors to view his barrow. Beowulf is perceived to contain both Christian and pagan practices on the beliefs and the actions carried out by the characters. Christianity, in this case, includes its teachings and the beliefs held by the characters about God while paganism puts into view practices that are not affiliated to God but rather perceived as relevant in the lives of the characters (Mehrpouyan & Banehmir 208). From an analytical perspective, it can be viewed that the poem, Beowulf, consists of a mixture of Christian and pagan elements regarding beliefs and events that take place before Beowulf’s death.
On Christianity, throughout the literary work, Beowulf frequently refers to God as his shield and protector. A good example is when he recounts his fight with the creature’s mother. Beowulf states, “The fight would have ended straightaway if God had not guarded me,” (“Beowulf” 1.

4). He further states that God has often led a man and hence man not being led by his friends. God is illustrated to present a mystical form of protection regarding Beowulf’s encounters. Be that as it may, the story presents the perception that for one to experience God’s guidance and protection, man has to earn it. An individual has to remain loyal to his beliefs and values for him to have God as his protector (Mehrpouyan & Banehmir 208).
Apart from God’s protection, Christianity is also included in Beowulf on the aspect of good overcoming evil which is attributed to God’s power. In other words, all goodness emanates from God. During his fight with Grendel’s mother, Beowulf notices a magic sword hanging on a wall. Beowulf does not credit himself for seeing it but instead gives all credit to God. He states, “But the Wielder of Men granted me that I should see hanging on the wall a fair, ancient great-sword,” (“Beowulf” 1.5). The view is that God is the one who enabled him to see the weapon. After his victory in the fight with the mother, Hrothgar informs Beowulf that a king’s status is obtained from God’s grace. He further tells him the story of Heremod who was a king who fell because of his pride and selfishness. Hrothgar states, “he turned away from the joys of men, alone, notorious king, although mighty God had raised him in power, in the joys of strength, had set him up over all men,” (“Beowulf” 4.4). He also explains that he adorns how God, through his power, provides mankind with wisdom and possession and that he has control over all creation. God also lets the thoughts of men in power move with glee. It can be viewed that the power of the king is imaginary as all power rests with God and that God’s grace is responsible for any delight that human beings enjoy (Mehrpouyan & Banehmir 208).
Christianity is also integrated into Beowulf on the view that any success from God requires humility and sharing the victory with others. Otherwise, the absence of humility results in one’s fall (Mehrpouyan & Banehmir 208). Beowulf is informed by Hrothgar about the aspects of a selfish ruler in which he explains that a selfish ruler does not appreciate what he has, he frequently covets, and that he does not honor any man and forgets that his power emanates from God (“Beowulf” 5.13). The term “covet” aligns with one of the Ten Commandments present in the Bible whereby human beings are instructed not to covet their neighbor’s property. In contrast, a good ruler shares his victories with others rather dwelling on his own victories (Mehrpouyan & Banehmir, 208). Hrothgar further informs Beowulf that God is the source of life and that the physical body is a vessel which has been loaned from God. However, the body weakens when the holder dwells on the selfish gain (“Beowulf” 5.17).
Another aspect of Christianity present in Beowulf is the comparison between Cain, in the Bible, with Grendel. In Beowulf, every bad thing such as Grendel, his mother, the dragon and other monsters are viewed to have descended from Cain. Grendel can be viewed to be similar to Cain regarding their presentation in the society. They are both recluses from their society or rather not wanted and hence makes them live in the shadows (Neidorf 600). They pose a threat to the social order in their environment whereby Cain is a threat to his brother Abel while Grendel is a threat to Danes. Heorot, in Beowulf, can be viewed as an illustration of peace whereby the men gather in harmony to celebrate their victories. Grendel, after hearing the celebrations and shouts from Heorot, he becomes infuriated especially since he is alone in his hiding. His attack makes him a vicious and evil outsider who is displeased with the happiness from the society that views him as an outcast (Neidorf 600). He is described as “the hostile-hearted creature, Gods enemy, guilty of murder,” (“Beowulf” 2.4).His enviousness aligns with Cain’s jealousy that prompted him to kill Abel. Beowulf stands as the illustration of good in which he fights evil to ensure the well-being of all. He becomes the savior who is not put down by an evil force. In other words, he demonstrates that the good always wins (Neidorf 601).
Beowulf also highlights the flood present in the book of Genesis in the Bible. According to the text, “the origin of ancient strife, when the flood, rushing water, slew the race of giants they suffered terribly,” (“Beowulf” 3.2).The flood is viewed as the last payment from God for individuals who did not acknowledge him. It can be seen that the text views individuals who made God to bring the flood to have descended from Cain (Neidorf 601).
Be that as it may, Beowulf features plenty of paganism in its context. Grendel is viewed as a monster descended from Cain. Cain, in this case, refers to an individual in the Bible who shed his brother’s blood and hence giving rise to a generation of wickedness. The victory accorded to Beowulf after defeating Grendel together with his mother is embedded in the imagery associated with medieval Christianity. Beowulf’s victory is associated with the ideology of God present in the medieval age while Grendel is viewed as a monster or rather a pagan construct who does not align with the idea of Christianity (Neidorf 602).
The final request made to Hrothgar by Beowulf for him to take his place and bare the title of the ring-issuer for his men depicts paganism in the story. It is perceived that during Anglo-Saxon England, there was the need for a ruler to fulfill the request of a warrior with the dedication of losing his life for another (Neidorf 602). The idea is further expounded by the view that when the ring-issuer falls or rather killed, it is expected to have his death avenged especially when the wergild was not paid. This explains Grendel’s mother focusing on killing Beowulf after he kills her son. The same case applies to Beowulf who also purposes to put down the mother as revenge for killing Aeschere and other warriors since the wergild had not been paid. In other words, the score has to be settled (Neidorf 602).
Another element is the value accorded to swords whereby according to the culture in Anglo-Saxon England, a sword was highly respected such that it was accorded a name. A good example is a weapon, Hrunting. Hrunting is described as rare and to have undergone blood tempering in addition to not failing any individual who used it during battle and when facing danger (Neidorf 602).
As stated earlier, from an analytical perspective, it can be viewed that the poem, Beowulf, consists of a mixture of Christian and pagan elements in regard to beliefs and events that take place before Beowulf’s death. Beowulf reference to God as his shield and protector, the aspect of goodness overcoming evil which is attributed to God’s power, the view that any success from God requires humility and sharing the victory with others, the reference of Grendel to Cain who is a character in the Bible, and highlighting the flood present in the book of Genesis in the Bible illustrate the aspect of Christianity in Beowulf. Paganism is illustrated by Beowulf’s request to become the ring-issuer and the value accorded to weapons.
Works Cited
“Beowulf.” Trans. Seamus Heaney. Print.
Mehrpouyan, Azadeh, and Seyedeh Samereh Abbasnezhad Banehmir. “Reflection of fate in epic-mythological heroes: Beowulf and Rustam.” International Journal of Research in Social Sciences 5.1 (2015): 208.
Neidorf, Leonard. “Cain, Cam, Jutes, giants, and the textual criticism of Beowulf.” Studies in Philology 112.4 (2015): 599-632.